Omar Abdullah and Mehbooba Mufti (file photo) | Photo credit: PTI
Srinagar: The leader of the National Conference (NC) and former chief minister of Jammu and Kashmir, Omar Abdullah, alleged on Wednesday that the administration of Jammu and Kashmir is “doing everything possible” to help the BJP. Abdullah’s comments come ahead of the DDC elections in the union territory.
“The J&K administration is doing everything possible to help the BJP and recently created the king’s party by locking up the candidates opposed to the BJP, using security as an excuse. If the security situation is not conducive to campaigning, what was it? the need to announce elections? “Abdullah said in a tweet.
In another tweet, the North Carolina leader claimed that ‘candidates are being prevented from campaigning’ and scoffed saying, “Is this the terror-free and safe J&K that the Home Secretary was tweeting about yesterday?”
The head of the People’s Democratic Party (PDP), Mehbooba Mufti, also claimed that non-BJP candidates for DDC polls cannot campaign freely and are locked up under the guise of security. “But the BJP and its representatives have full bandobast to move. Is this the democracy that the GOI claimed to promote in yesterday’s telephone conversation with the president-elect of the United States?” she questioned.
BJP alliance leaders and Gupkar exchange war of words
The PDP and the National Conference, along with other party states, have formed a larger Gupkar Alliance to challenge the BJP on union territory. The alliance has been demanding the restoration of J & K’s special status and has alleged that the BJP has been killing democracy in the state.
Earlier this week, the leaders of the BJP and the Gupkar Alliance were engaged in a bitter war of words with the former criticizing the alliance for wanting to involve foreign powers in J&K to restore Article 370. Farooq Abdullah, the most senior leader. A state official said he was committed to restoring J & K’s special status. The BJP criticized the Congress party for joining the alliance and asked its national leadership to clarify its position on Article 370.
